While RAGBRAI wrapped up last weekend, another large band of hardy folks is trekking from one end of Iowa to the other today but they’re not riding bikes, they’re hunting for bargains.

Iowa’s first Lincoln Highway Buy-Way is underway. Organizer Deb Rothmeyer in Denison says it’s a 300-mile-long yard sale. Following Highway 30, it stretches from Crescent, near Council Bluffs in the west, to Lowden in the east, hitting some two-dozen towns in between. Rothmeyer says some shoppers drive the entire course.

“Oh, yes, I was at the yard sales yesterday and we’ve had people from Alabama, Nebraska, Missouri, that’ve come up,” Rothmeyer says. “They’re doing the whole Iowa By-Way Yard Sale.” She says the concept of 200-some yard sales stretching across the state is pretty unusual.

“Yeah, it’s a little crazy,” Rothmeyer says. “I don’t think I would do it but you’ve got die-hard garage sale shoppers out there. If you can get a good bargain, plan your vacation around it and do it.” She says whatever it is you’re looking for on the Highway Buy-way, you’ll probably find it.

“Anything from A to Z, clothing, antiques, bake sales, vegetable sales,” Rothmeyer says. In addition to the yard sales, some towns are also holding events like car cruises, street dances, a ribeye dinner and a baseball tournament. The sales opened on Thursday and run through Saturday.

Iowa towns taking part include: Crescent, Honey Creek, Missouri Valley, Logan, Dunlap, Dow City, Denison, Vail, Jefferson, Grand Junction, Ogden, Boone, State Center, Tama, Toledo, Youngville Station, Belle Plaine, Chelsea, Mount Vernon, Marion, Lisbon, Mechanicsville, Stanwood, Clarence and Lowden. Several other states along the Lincoln Highway are holding similar events this weekend, including: West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Learn more at: “www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/iowa“.